Chicken Bog

© ginauf via Canva.com

Jump to Recipe

Quick Bite

Chicken bog is a South Carolina rice dish made with chicken, smoked sausage, rice, and seasonings cooked together until soft, savory, and deeply comforting. It is part pilau, part stew, and all Pee Dee country comfort.

History

Chicken bog is especially associated with South Carolina’s Pee Dee region and Horry County. It belongs to the same broad family as chicken pilau or perloo, but bog is wetter and softer, with the rice and chicken “bogged down” together in the pot.

The dish grew from practical Lowcountry and inland rice cooking traditions. Chicken, rice, sausage, onions, and pepper could feed a crowd without much fuss. It was ideal for church suppers, family reunions, fundraisers, hunting camps, and community events.

Loris, South Carolina, is especially proud of chicken bog. The town hosts the annual Loris Bog-Off Festival, where cooks compete and crowds gather around one of the state’s most beloved regional dishes.

The best chicken bog should be moist, not dry like fried rice and not soupy like gumbo. The rice should absorb the chicken broth and sausage flavor until the whole pot tastes like one comforting, peppery, smoky thing.

Fun Facts

• Chicken bog is especially popular in Horry County and the Pee Dee region.
• Loris, South Carolina, hosts an annual Bog-Off Festival.
• The dish is wetter than chicken perloo, which is part of why “bog” is such a perfect name.

Where to Try

Loris Bog-Off Festival Loris, South Carolina
The essential chicken bog experience, with a cooking competition and community celebration built around the dish.

Big Mike’s Soul Food Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
A Grand Strand comfort-food spot where chicken bog has been listed among Lowcountry-style favorites and local dishes.

Westwood BBQ Hartsville, South Carolina
A South Carolina barbecue restaurant known for chopped pork, hash, and chicken bog-style country cooking.

About the Game

This recipe is part of Van Life Challenge, a travel-themed board game from Gray Dog Games where players explore the United States, discover regional foods, and collect memorable experiences along the way.

Each featured food celebrates a real place, a local flavor, and the kind of delicious roadside discovery that makes every trip feel like an adventure.

Recipe

Print Recipe Cook Mode: OFF

Home-Cook-Friendly Chicken Bog Serves: 8 Prep: 20 minutes Cook: About 1 hour Difficulty: Easy Style: South Carolina / Pee Dee Rice Dish

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken, about 4 pounds, or 3 pounds bone-in chicken pieces
• 10 cups water or chicken broth
• 1 pound smoked sausage, sliced
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 cups long-grain white rice
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
• 1 bay leaf

Instructions

1. Simmer the chicken: Place chicken in a large pot with water or broth, bay leaf, salt, and pepper.
2. Cook until tender: Simmer until the chicken is tender and cooked through.
3. Cool chicken: Remove the chicken and let it cool slightly.
4. Reserve broth: Reserve about 7 cups of the cooking broth.
5. Pull chicken: Pull the chicken from the bones and shred or chop it.
6. Cook onion: In the pot, melt butter and cook onion until softened.
7. Brown sausage: Add smoked sausage and cook until lightly browned.
8. Add rice and broth: Add rice, chicken, reserved broth, black pepper, and red pepper flakes if using.
9. Boil, then lower heat: Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low.
10. Cook covered: Cover and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, until the rice is tender and the mixture is moist.
11. Rest: Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Traditional note: To make it more traditional, use chicken cooked on the bone, smoked sausage, long-grain rice, and plenty of broth. Keep it moist and slightly “boggy,” not dry.

www.vanlifechallenge
© 2026 Gray Dog Games